• China Coin Cryptocurrency
• Coin Cryptocurrency

1. A cryptocurrency, broadly defined, is currency that takes the form of tokens or “coins” and exists on a distributed and decentralized ledger. Beyond that, the field of cryptocurrencies has expanded.
2. Cryptocurrency is revolutionary new technology which brings an enormous realm to freedom to money. However, even after ten years, cryptocurrency adoption is less than 2% of the world population. We work to bring cryptocurrency to everyone. Read More About Our Mission.

In this guide, you’ll learn the basics as well as the benefits of staking.

Cryptocurrencies are virtual currencies, a digital asset that utilizes encryption to secure transactions. Crypto currency (also referred to as 'altcoins') uses decentralized control instead of the.

Proof of Stake

Proof-of-stake (PoS) is an alternative consensus algorithm to Bitcoin’s proof-of-work (PoW). Unlike mining, which requires massive electrical power to validate transactions, staking is a more eco-friendly process.

When staking tokens, an individual locks their tokens into their chosen PoS blockchain. The tokens are used to achieve consensus, which is necessary to keep the network secure whilst validating every new transaction on the blockchain.

By offering up their tokens, “validators” are rewarded with new coins from the network. These rewards are proportionate to the number staked; the higher the number staked, the greater the validation power.

Many Proof-of-Stake proponents believe that PoS is more secure than PoW as it requires a lot of resources to hijack the network. A hijack is only possible if 50% of the network’s validators become compromised, and purchasing tokens to stake 50% of a network is vastly more expensive than seeking control through a PoW consensus mechanism.

China Coin Cryptocurrency

In addition, purchasing coins will cause the price to inflate, and as such, purchasing the required amount to take over a network through staking is far more expensive than PoW, and therefore, (in theory) more secure.

Popular coins to stake:

• Tezos (XTZ)
• Cosmos (ATOM)
• Cardano (ADA)
• Polkadot (DOT)
• Synthetix Network (SNX)
• Ethereum (ETH) (coming soon)
  

With no special equipment needed, staking coins has little to no overhead costs. However, there is a minimum number of coins required for staking, which certainly brings the coss up, and in the most extreme cases may be almost as costly as PoW mining.

Overall, staking is still cheaper than mining. It’s also considered to be a less risky investment if things don’t work out as you can always sell your coins back, or wait for their value to rise.

Take a look at our list of last year’s most profitable coins to stake.

How to Stake Coins

To start staking cryptocurrency, you need to follow these five steps:

1. Choose a coin to stake
There are a lot of PoS coins available on the market. One can surf the web and decide which coins they want to stake.

2. Download the wallet

A software wallet is essential to the staking process as it is where you store the funds used for staking. Simply go to the website of the coin you want to stake and download the wallet.

3. Determine the minimum requirements
Some PoS networks have a minimum number of coins required in order to stake. Tezos requires 10,000 XTZ, while Ethereum plans to start with 32 ETH. Although, there are also coins like ATOM and ADA that have no required minimum.

4. Decide what hardware to use

Most staking schemes require a validator (staker) to be connected to the network 24/7. Therefore, you need a device that has uninterrupted internet access. A standard desktop computer would do well, ideally one with low power costs as it needs to run around the clock. Alternatively, a raspberry pi could even do the job and might save electricity. You can also take advantage of virtual private servers (VPS); running on the cloud adds a lot of convenience for the staker as it removes maintenance hassles.

5. Start staking
After your wallet is set up, you can begin the staking process. Be sure to be connected to the internet at all times, unless you’re using a VPS. At this point, all that’s left to do is occasionally check in on your node to ensure everything is running smoothly.

The STAKEaway

Staking is considered as a cheaper and easier way to be involved in the validation process of a blockchain network. It’s also an environmentally friendlier means of potentially earning a passive income in digital assets.

Related Articles:

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Cryptocurrency trading has become really popular in the past years. It’s growing more ever year.

Many big trading brokers have already added some of these cryptocurrencies. Everybody can sign up and start trading Bitcoin or other crypto coins. This is the easiest and probably the simplest way to invest in cryptocurrency.

After trying out most brokers, here are the best cryptocurrency brokers:

Best Cryptocurrency Brokers (Non-US Traders Only)

Plus500 – Top Rated Trading Platform

Plus500 is a big name in the trading industry. They have a really low minimum deposit requirement and a great trading site.

Buy/Sell CFDs on Bitcoin in addition to buying stocks, commodities, forex etc (traded only through CFDs). Plus500 is the most complete trading platform.

• Trade CFDs on Bitcoin & many other Cryptos
• Minimum Deposit is only $100
• Regulated and Trusted Platform
• Very fast signup process
• Live Chat
• Many payment methods (even Paypal)

• You cannot withdraw any cryptocurrency
• You have to complete a questionnaire, upon sign up

Plus500 Disclaimer: 76.4% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

IQ Option – Lowest Minimum Deposit ($10)

If you don’t want to make a huge initial investment, then IQ Option is the best broker for you. The minimum deposit requirement is only $10. This is by far the lowest in the industry.

• You can trade many cryptocurrencies
• Minimum Deposit is only $10
• Best trading platform
• Multiple account currencies
• Free demo account
• Regulated by CYSEC (#247/14)

• They don’t allow traders from USA, Japan and Israel

eToro – Top Crypto Broker

eToro is a really popular trading site. They have been around since 2006. eToro is regulated by CYSEC, FCA and ASIC.

Buy/Sell Bitcoin on eToro in addition to buying stocks, commodities, forex etc. eToro is the most complete trading platform.

• Trade Bitcoin & many other Cryptos
• Minimum Deposit is $200
• Regulated and Trusted Platform
• Australian Traders Are Also Accepted
• Great Support Team
• Many Payment Methods (even Paypal)

• You cannot withdraw any cryptocurrency
• You have to complete a questionnaire, upon sign up

eToro Disclaimer: 71% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

Highlow – Best All-Round Crypto Broker

Due to regulation HighLow stopped accepting traders from the EU and UK.

Highlow is an Australian trading broker (AFSL No.364264). What I like most about this broker is the intuitive platform. It is so easy to use. Especially new traders will like the clean layout.

I’ve been using highlow for a few years now and I never had a problem. Highlow publishes their number of trades on the homepage. There are millions of trades on this broker each month.

I use the main platform which is web based. This means, that you don’t have to download any software. This platform is stable and safe (they use SSL).

I have also tried the iOS app and the android app. They are great, but I just don’t like trading on smartphones in general.

The payouts on Highlow are amazing (up to 200%, which is more than on other brokers).

Highlow is a great broker for cryptocurrencies (but only if you are not from EU,UK, US). They have a good reputation, great support team and awesome promotions for new traders.

• Trade Bitcoin & other Cryptos
• Minimum Deposit is only $50
• Regulated and trusted Platform
• Fastest signup process (no questionnaires)
• Multiple account currencies
• Free demo account (no registration needed)

• You cannot withdraw any cryptocurrency

Nadex – US Traders Welcome

Nadex is a CFTC regulated broker. In fact, this is probably the only US broker that has this regulation.

Only US traders are allowed on Nadex. Non-US Traders check out the next broker.

Update OCTOBER 2019: Looks like Nadex removed crypto trading. After contacting them I found out that they will add it back soon. Register on Nadex now and get updated when they add it.

Recently, Nadex started offering Bitcoin trading.

• Trade Bitcoin, Forex or Binary Options
• Minimum Deposit is $250
• CFTC Regulated Broker
• Great Support Team
• Many Payment Methods (even Paypal)

Crypto Brokers With Most Cryptocurrencies

Here are the most popular cryptocurrencies offered by cryptocurrency brokers:

• Etoro – Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Dash, Ethereum Classic, NEO and Ripple.
• Plus500 – Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple, IOTA.
• AvaTrade – Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ethereum Classic, Ripple, Dash, Bitcoin cash Litecoin, Monero and NEO.

Lowest Minimum Deposit Brokers

These are the best brokers with low minimum deposit requirements:

• Etoro – $200
• Plus500 – $100
• AvaTrade – $100

This is really important because the crypto market itself is unregulated. Depositing on a regulated broker means that your money is safe.

We’ve also looked at the support team and the payment methods. You can deposit easily using multiple payment methods on the brokers below.

Top Rated Brokers That Have Cryptocurrencies

While we are all familiar with the broad definition of a broker, is there something more to it when it comes to cryptocurrencies?

Simply put, a cryptocurrency broker refers to a website that traders will visit to trade cryptocurrencies at a set price. In many ways, they are similar to forex brokers whose services are a lot more familiar to the general public.

eToro Disclaimer: 71% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

You still can’t decide which broker is best for you?

How to Choose your Cryptocurrency Broker

Is Leverage Really Necessary? Cryptocurrency markets are volatile in nature with prices fluctuating immensely thereby generating high profits even in the absence of leverage. But for some traders, the desire for more earnings justifies the use of leverage.

Before choosing your broker, settle yourself on whether the already immense profits that come from a cryptocurrency market are enough for you or you would like to use leverage to enhance them even further, bearing in mind, of course, that will also significantly increase the risk factor to your funds.

Negative Balance Protection: It is always advisable to trade with a broker that affords the negative balance protection facility. That way, you will never be at risk of losing more than what you invested in case you sustain very heavy losses.

How Suitable Is The Required Capital For You? This is another subjective part to your decision. Do you prefer trading with a small capital or bigger one to help you zero in on bigger returns? Find out what size trades your broker is offering before you open an account.

Narrow Spreads for the Win: Let us be honest, it is only fair that your broker gets a cut from the money you generated having provided you with the essential facilities for it and all. But let us be honest, you definitely want every last dime for yourself.

A spread refers to the difference between the buying price and selling price of a trade and it varies with each broker. The spread is what counts as fees for your broker so the smaller it is, the lower the cost will be on your part.

Lets go into what aspects you as a trader must consider when choosing a broker to trade cryptocurrencies.

Which Cryptocurrencies Are You Interested In Trading?

Make sure you have decided on which cryptocurrencies you want to trade in before signing up with your broker.

If your choice is a prominent cryptocurrency like Bitcoin (official site), Litecoin (official site), or Ethereum(official site), there will be a relatively broad availability of brokers that have trading options for those. However, less prevalent examples like Monero, IOTA, or Zcash may be a little harder to come by.

So study the cryptocurrencies being offered by a broker before you sign up for an account.

Pros And Cons Of Cryptocurrency Brokers

Coin Cryptocurrency

No broker is perfect.

Here are some features that these broker have or don’t:
Pros

• Signup up with a crypto broker is probably the fastest way to get started with cryptocurrency trading
• If you are less tech-savvy then a broker is safer for you
• You can start buying cryptocurrency while traditional exchanges don’t always accept this payment method

Cons

• Most of the time you can’t withdraw cryptocurrencies from a broker. You have to exchange it back to fiat money (USD/EUR etc.)

Cryptocurrency Brokers – What To Look For

Here are some of the more understated details about your cryptocurrency broker that could make your trading experiences so much more efficient and successful.

1. What Are The Weekend Hours Like?

This is a key detail that distinguishes cryptocurrencies from other prominent trading markets like forex, futures, and equity. Cryptocurrency brokers operate during the weekends as well.

There is virtually no difference in purchasing bitcoin at the end of the week as opposed to the middle of the week during peak hours.

But there is a catch. While digital currency exchanges are available during the weekend, your broker may not (Why is the stock market closed on the weekend?). So in effect, if there is considerable movement within your relevant cryptocurrency market during a weekend when your broker is not operating, you may not have the ability to respond in any way.

2. How Is It Hedging?

Your broker is probably not keen on revealing if it is hedging cryptocurrency traders but it is important information for you to know.

Why is it so important for you to know?

Because, as a trader, you want to be absolutely in the clear regarding the policies for risk management being followed by your broker. Let us not forget that cryptocurrency markets are extremely volatile and an unhedged broker is more easily prone to major losses incurred by its clients. Naturally, those costs will warrant compensation via fatter spreads and additional costs for traders. It will be best to sign up with a broker that will not withhold the relevant information from you.

More Great Features You Could Be Interested In

Commissions and Trading On Margin – An important thing to note while trading cryptocurrencies is that their prices tend to be more similar to equities than they are to real currencies. So your broker could be charging you commissions in addition to a wide spread on each trade. That, of course, raises the cost probably a bit much for your liking.

Another similarity with equities is that the margin conditions with cryptocurrencies are significantly more than they are with forex or CFDs. Consequently, leverage is usually up to 10x. How considerable the margin rate will be for traders is down to what trading strategies and risk management they subscribe to.

Authenticity of Market Data – Aside from merely evaluating how it influences spreads, market data for cryptocurrency CFD prices can be a good indicator of how the quality of the product will be in the future.

One of the more recent examples of this is BTC-e which was an immensely popular platform for trading bitcoin before it was shut down by Feds. BTC-e was the first bitcoin exchange to incorporate forex trades and so made their exchange accessible via MT4 and supplied cryptocurrency liquidity for brokers.

But once it was shut down, every broker that depended squarely upon BTC-e was left with no hedging options or market data to put a price on its crypto CFDs.

Are Short Sales Available? For many traders, shorting is a crucial strategy option, the lack of which can be a deal breaker with a potential broker. Many brokers tend to offer ‘long’ only since there are only a few hedging solutions when opening short trades.

As you see, investing in cryptocurrencies can be a truly lucrative venture for you but only if you get it right.

And a lot of that is down to which broker you decide to trade with.

Ready To Start Trading?

Trade with the cryptocurrency brokers listed above to make sure that your money is safe, you pick a broker with a stellar reputation and you keep the fees low. Excel at trading bitcoin by creating your own trading strategy.

These cryptocurrency brokers make it really easy to trade bitcoin and other coins. You don’t have to be a trading expert. It helps if you know what a blockchain is or how the ledger and transactions work, but this is all optional.

Sign up now and see for yourself how easy it is to get started.